You Slew the Knight, My Dragon
by Lil Dreamer
Summary: Duo and Relena's friendship when she discovers something he's been hiding from all of them. (And no matter what the title implies, it's not about Wufei) Yaoi mentioned (1x2), NOT 2RR2. Complete.
1. Duo's Dying

**You Slew the Knight, My Dragon**  
Gundam Wing fanfiction by Lil Dreamer (lildreamer@fanfiction.net)  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: A Relena and Duo story (not like that! no Rx2/2xR or even 2+R/R+2) about building friendship under adverse circumstances. Set AC 197.  
Warnings: happy angst... or something like that... we'll see how it works out 

  
  
Duo Maxwell took the veritable ream of paper from the older man's hand with a smile, but if any of his friends had seen the smile, they'd have known something was wrong. A little older, a little more sedate, Maxwell was the new poster boy for clean Earth youth. That barely-there sad smile didn't fit his personality, the old or the new. The dark-haired man recognized the expression, though, and left the room, his hand reaching up to squeeze one shoulder in a gesture of sympathy.

Alone for a few minutes, Duo took the opportunity to examine the papers. Five in all, they spelled out the end of everything. He thought about his life, about his friends, about, well, everything. The last five years had been filled with so many ups and downs, friendships and joys and sorrows, life and death. Wars, uprisings, torture, hope... They were five years he shouldn't have had.

How he'd managed to survive both the war and Mariemaia's uprising was a question he'd never been able to answer. Stress tears your body apart, and when your body is fighting its own war... Well, he should never have been able to live as long as he had.

Time was running out.

He looked up as the office door opened slowly. A familiar dark head popped in, and Duo rose to shake the man's hand. "Thanks, Doc. I'll get these filled this afternoon." He remembered seeing the man only a handful of times before, seven maybe. With the war, trips to see his favorite surgeon were few and far between. Still, this man had earned the respect of being the only doctor Duo would willingly visit.

"You do that. Unless you change your mind, I guess this is goodbye, Duo." His only response was a tight-lipped smile from the 17 year old. They both knew his final wishes. Duo Maxwell did not intend on spending the rest of his life in a hospital. "Take care of yourself."

With that Duo left the older man's office. He stepped out the doors with his mind set on taking one last long look at the earth before he was finally bedridden.

Instead, he nearly stepped into the arms of Relena Peacecraft Dorlian. In the aftermath of the Mariemaia incident (and Relena's subsequent realization that Heero Yuy was not in fact the only decent-looking boy in the universe), the two had become friends. Seeing her wasn't the chore it had once been. Duo wasn't the only one who'd matured.

"Rel, what are you doing here? You look great, by the way, but..." He trailed off, lifting one hand in puzzlement as he paused to consider his second statement. She did look good today. Definitely a more casual outfit, the white T-shirt and jeans fit her perfectly, and Duo couldn't help inwardly grinning at the absence of pink.

"Waiting for you. I was driving by when I saw you go into the doctor's office. I knew you wouldn't actually tell anyone if something was wrong, so I decided to catch you in the act. What's up, Max?"

Duo smirked at his nickname. Relena hadn't been happy that he'd decided to shorten her name, and the added bonus of attempting to call him "Doo" hadn't worked. She'd resorted to his last name. The funny part was how long she'd taken before thinking of the solution, almost a whole month. He looked her in the eyes for a long moment. Apparently finding what he sought, he took her by the hand and led her to a nearby café.

"There's something I've been hiding for a while. You're not going to like it," he said as he pulled out a chair for his friend. "But I'm okay with it, and I have been for ages." Duo held Relena's hands in his own across the table and gave them a little squeeze.

"And this is something I'm going to hate. Promise not to make a scene."

"I was never worried you would, kid."

Relena yanked her hands from his to rest them on her hips. "Just because you had a teeny little growth spurt and are barely taller than I am-"

"Relena."

"I know, I know. 'Act your age, not Quatre's shoe size.' He'd kill us if he knew that was our little 'in' joke."

"He would, wouldn't he?" Duo stared off into space for a moment, remembering the day that had started that little joke. During the war, Relena's stalking had been too much for Duo to take one day, and he'd confronted her about it. Their insults slowly degraded to a mini war, and that had been the last one thrown before the two looked at each other and cracked up. That was the sole experience their friendship was based on. Everything else came from it, and most of their fights fell to it again.

Now Relena's hands clasped Duo's. "So, are you going to tell me or let me sit here waiting all day?"

Duo took a deep breath and started. Fast but informative was the way he wanted to get this done. "Rel, I have cancer. I've had it for, well, I don't know exactly how long. By the time I was taken to a doctor when I was 12, it was already close to terminal. This particular type of tumor is a silent killer. There are warning signs before the terminal point, but since they don't flash or have bright lights or anything, most people don't know they're sick until it's too late. Anyway, I was treated, and it just about stopped the growth of the tumor. It's inoperable, and I knew from the beginning that there's nothing to cure me. I've been waiting to die since I was a kid."

"But what about-"

"My Gundam? G was the one who took me to that doctor. I'd been dizzy some, and my balance was off. After, I managed to convince him I was a good choice for pilot. Since I was going to die anyway, it wouldn't be a big loss if I were killed, and since I was going to die, I knew the value of life and wouldn't make any hasty decisions resulting in my preventable early death. Also, unlike _certain_ pilots, I was unlikely to be suicidal and destroy my Gundam and make more headaches for G. He agreed, I kept training.

"Rel, you're the only one here who knows. G is dead, and my doctor has the whole confidentiality thing. You won't..." He'd not broken eye contact with her once. He was still looking her in the eyes, but with a new pleading.

"No, it's not my place. It's your life, it's your... death. I won't. Do the others..." Her voice trailed off as she tilted her head inquiringly.

Duo Looked at her. "Relena, is it a weakness? Would you want to go into life-threatening situations with someone who might not wake up tomorrow morning at your back?"

She looked at the table. "I see." Looking up she answered his question, "You know, I think I'd be okay if that person were you." She removed her hands once more and propped her chin on them. "What am I going to do without you, Duo?"

He'd barely heard her whispered question, but he answered it just the same, "Just what you do when I'm with you, Rel, only a little different. I'm going on a really long mission with radio silence. 'Cept that's kind of denial, and that's not good. I promise to do what I can to watch out for you."

"I never doubted that, Duo, but who's going to give me my hugs?"

"Prince Charming, silly girl. I'll find him and kick his ass in your direction, 'k?"

Relena sniffed and smiled and blinked away the tears trying to break free. "Come live with me. I know it won't be long, and I know it won't be pretty or easy, but this way you don't have to be alone. The estate is lonely, and I have the money to hire anyone you need. Just let me get to know my friend a little better?"

"I don't know, I want to keep a low profile now."

"Vacations for all unnecessary servants, you can pack up your apartment, not leave a forwarding address, disappear. I know you, Duo. You can't possibly want to die alone. You couldn't live alone well, anyway. Just think about it."

Duo looked at his fingernails. "This is really what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"All right. But you can't tell anybody. I've done too much to keep people away." His eyes glazed over as his mind slipped into the past.

  
_"No, we're not! We're not partners, we're not friends, we're not lovers anymore. You know, I'm starting to wonder what I ever saw in you in the first place." Cold tears dropped as he turned his back on the one person he cared for most. _I can't let him see me cry. I can never let anyone see me cry.  
_"Is that so? Isn't it funny how other people see us? They say I'm the cold, selfish bastard. I wonder, who else gets to see the real you?" With those words, one boy's heart lay in pieces, and the other vowed never to care again._

  
Finished reliving the memory, Duo looked into Relena's concerned eyes and offered a grin. "Wanna help me pack?"

***

Two weeks later, Duo was settling into the Vice Foreign Minister's estate. Despite their initial gung-ho, the two teens had quickly discovered Murphy's Law. Getting the servants to leave for unplanned, though paid, vacations wasn't as easy as it sounded. Plus, Relena had forgotten to mention a few small details about their living situation.

"What do you mean, 'someone else'? Rel, I thought-"

She offered a quick, extremely fake smile. "Thinking's bad. Don't think. It'll be... fun."

Duo relaxed against his pillows again. They'd finished moving him in that morning, and he'd been on his way to a well-deserved nap when the somewhat-flighty blond decided to break this bit of news. "Well, why don't you just fill me in, darlin'?" he drawled, ignoring the groan at his horrid fake accent.

Relena looked down at her clasped hands. This was not the way things were supposed to work out. "You see, Mother has been lonely, so she's been looking into adopting another girl a little younger than I to, I'm not sure. Keep her company? One of the concerns was that I wouldn't get along with the new girl, but Kasey, that's the girl, suggested we have a trial period to see if we could get along. Mother is currently staying at one of Quatre's L4 guesthouses. It was the only way I could get her to leave. Kasey was supposed to go with her. But I found out yesterday that the agency won't allow colonial travel, so she's here."

"Already?"

"Yes. She's a great kid, Duo, and I really don't think she'll be any trouble. She won't say anything if we tell her not to, and she's just 12. Please?"

"You want her to meet and befriend someone who's going to be dead in a month? Relena, you went with me. You talked to the doctor. You know how hard this is going to be on you, and you still want to subject her to all of it?" Duo remembered going to the doctor's office last week. Relena wanted to make sure she knew enough about taking care of Duo, and she had to know what to expect. While relatively painless for Duo, he realized the caretakers often went through hell during the final weeks. All Duo had to worry about were the headaches and vertigo that would get worse as the tumor continued to grow. One day he'd fall into a coma and slowly, probably painlessly, die. The headaches had never been bad in his case, and they didn't seem to be getting worse, but the vertigo was more frequent now. Soon he'd be confined to his bed, unable to stand upright from the mixed signals in his head. Smaller side effects, loss of appetite, likely slight loss of vision or hearing, didn't really bother him. He was ready to rest.

They both knew how difficult things would be for Relena. She would already be watching one of the strongest-seeming people she'd ever known wither away. His moods would probably swing, he might become disoriented to a point where he didn't even know who she was, or he may even change personalities. There was no way to know how things would go with brain tumors.

"Duo, you were a 12 year old orphan once. I wasn't. I don't know what to say to her, how to act. I need help, and I think having her around might make things easier on both of us. I've thought about this since I found out, and I want her to stay. As long as you're okay with it."

Duo watched Relena's hands twist the quilt folded over the end of his bed. "Whatever makes you happy, princess."

That was a nickname Relena didn't mind, but there was no chance to comment on his choice before a stick-thin girl with dark brown hair bounced up to the bed and stared at Duo with happy grey eyes. "'Lena said if we gave her enough time she could talk you into anything."

Duo gaped at the bundle of energy before turning to mock-glare at the innocent-looking teen at the foot of his bed. "She wasn't wrong, I guess." The teens sat Kasey down right there and told her everything about Duo's condition. She already knew a lot from talking to Relena earlier and listening to the earlier conversation, but all three of them knew inside that this conversation was needed. By the end of the day, all three were more comfortable with both the situation and each other, and by the end of the next day, Duo knew he'd found a kindred spirit in the girl who managed to waterbomb Relena three separate times on the same set of stairs. They kept their days busy, not wanting a chance to think about or dwell on what was just around the corner.  


***

Things were ok for a while, but soon enough fate slipped in.

Kasey ran down the stairs on her way to breakfast and barely managed to avoid tripping over a prone Duo. She yelled for help and managed to turn him face up before Relena and Pagan arrived on the scene.

"What happened?" Relena had reached down to check Duo's vitals. Kasey answered as the older girl pushed open Duo's eyelids to check for concussion.

"I don't know! I just found him like this!" Anyone could see that the little girl was upset, but she did her best to stay calm and wait for instructions.

"I think he's ok. Pagan, can you help me get him back to his room?" With little more than a nod, the two were working to move the emaciated boy back to his first-floor room. None of the three knew why he'd been on the stairs in the first place. Because of the suddenness of his bouts of vertigo, the doctor insisted Duo stay at the ground floor of the mansion. Relena had immediately converted the unused den downstairs into Duo's new room. He even had a private bath attached.

The long-haired boy began to wake as they maneuvered him onto the bed. "Rel?"

"I'm right here, Max. You fell on the stairs. Why were you going up, anyway?" By this time, the blond was tucking her friend into the covers carefully. Pagan left to salvage whatever was left of the breakfast his employer had been cooking when she was alerted by Kasey's shout, and the still-thin girl sat next to Duo and rubbed his braid soothingly.

"I was planning to wake Kasey. She's been a lazy bum lately." At that, the aforementioned Kasey stuck her tongue out at the older boy. He smiled. "I'm tired, Rel. Mind if I take a nap?"

She reached up to smooth his hair out of his face before replying, "Go ahead. I'll get you something to eat later." Relena barely managed to make it out of the room before the tears fell. She knew this was it. The vertigo kept him seated most of the day now, and this latest round plus the tiredness he was showing meant he probably had less than a week left. One look at Kasey proved that her adopted sister knew it, too. She gathered the girl into her arms and held on for as long as she could.

***

When Pagan next went into the den-come-sickroom, he nearly burst out laughing at the sight. Relena had dragged a small table over to Duo's bed, and the two were valiantly trying to set up a chess set with the help of the directions on the box. Pagan quickly backed out of the room when he heard the conversation. No, it would not do at all for his employer to know he was laughing his bum off at her.

***

"Um, Rel, do you actually know how ta play chess?" Duo was watching her squint at the directions while he leaned against the mountain of pillows against the headboard. His head still buzzed from the four pills he'd taken almost an hour before.

"... No, but I've seen people play it before!" Relena's eternal optimism was hampered only by the fact that she was a true blond.

Duo shook his head. The girl just didn't have a clue sometimes. "Me neither. Chess ain't exactly somethin' you pick up on the streets." Relena winced internally at the speech. She'd noticed before that the sicker he became, the more he slipped back into his old patterns. Perhaps the familiarity was a comfort? She rather thought he just didn't notice it. "Maybe we should stick to somethin' we know? Like, checkers?"

"I don't have any checkers, Duo. But..." She grinned a grin that reminded him why exactly she was his best friend.

"We got a checkerboard, and we got lotsa little pieces. Hell, yeah!" And the two played checkers with chess pieces well into the evening.

***

"Duo, are you sure there isn't anyone you want me to call? I know how you feel about this, but I can't help..." Relena sat on the edge of the bed. Duo hadn't been able to get out of it at all for nearly two days now. Somewhere deep inside, she knew this was the end. He'd held on for a few weeks more than the doctor had originally thought, but the extra time was at a price. He didn't smile anymore. His feelings showed through his eyes, but he was too tired to give anyone the infamous Maxwell grin.

His voice was low and exhausted as he answered, "Rel, there's no one... out there for me now... I gave it all up."

The two rested hand in hand in companionable silence for hours while Duo dozed. Sometime around sunset he opened once more those shocking purple eyes that hadn't lost their vitality through his illness. He squeezed Relena's hand in his. When she looked him in the eyes, he smiled. It wasn't a grin or a smirk or anything but a true smile for his best friend. Relena felt her eyes fill at the sight. "I love you, Rel."

They both knew what would come next. She let out a single sob and reached over to hug him one last time. She kissed his forehead and smoothed his hair, the motions so familiar after these past weeks. Then she looked him in the eyes. "I love you, too, Max."

As the sun set, Duo Maxwell slipped into a coma. Relena didn't leave his side once that night. Pagan glanced in a few times, and Kasey entered twice to bring Relena drinks and to kiss her friend goodbye. She hadn't been able to say the words earlier, but she knew he already knew how much she loved him.

It would be years before Relena would watch the sunrise. At sunset, she could remember her friend and the times they spent together. She could know in her heart that at least he knew he was loved when he left, and she would watch every night for the glimpse of purple-blue that matched his eyes. But sunrise... She'd never be able to appreciate sunrise again, for it was sunrise when she felt his heart stop beating, sunrise when she heard him stop breathing, sunrise when she felt his hand grow cold in hers. Sunrise.

When the sun was fully in the heavens, Duo's doctor opened the door. Pagan had called him when he noticed the change in Relena's demeanor. He knew the end had come. Relena rose from her bedside chair and shook the man's hand. Asking Pagan to assist the doctor with any calls that needed to be made or anything else that needed to be done, she went upstairs to her own room to shower and change for the day.

There were things she still needed to do.

***  


There's one more part to this, mostly finished, but I can't get an ending that doesn't suck. -_-; I'll post it soon, sucky or not, I guess. If anyone is interested in beta-ing that last part or even reading what I've got while giving constructive crit, email me: lildreamer@fanfiction.net. And about the title... Originally, that was a Kasey/Duo scene where Duo was thinking too fast for his speech, but it's been written out. Might end up in the second part if anyone's interested in it... Hm... Oh, and if you notice the dif in styles, I wrote part of it over Christmas and part 5 minutes ago... Sorry 'bout that. 


	2. The Next Day

**You Slew the Knight, My Dragon**  
Gundam Wing fanfiction by Lil Dreamer (lildreamer@fanfiction.net)  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: A Relena and Duo story (not like that! no Rx2/2xR or even 2+R/R+2) about building friendship under adverse circumstances. Set AC 197.  
Warnings: happy angst... or something like that... we'll see.  
Notes: This is it, guys. I had a horrible time getting this part out, and I still don't like some of it. I know there's more that could be done, but don't look for it any time soon. Sorry if you want more, but...

The year is A.C. 197. The wars are over, at least for now, and no one wants to see another start so soon. This doesn't mean perfection has suddenly blessed the human race, or for that matter, empathy or even kindness. The people are tired, and the few who are meant to keep the peace are even more so. 

_"Hey, Rel, if you're the _vice_ foreign minister, who's the foreign minister?"  
"That's a silly question! Everyone knows- Wait, no, Duo, that's actually a very good question."_

Relations between the colonies and Earth are improving, but there are still hundreds of little problems, each capable of being the one to set off another series of battles. The diplomats of all factions have their work cut out for them. Another conference to hopefully foster communication begins today.

_"You see, Rel, the problem with some people is they just won't talk! Or maybe they'll talk, but they won't pay attention. They're so stuck in their ways that they won't consider changing or consider that anyone else might have a valid viewpoint, too!"_

Over 60 representatives of government and industry in the colonies and here on Earth are here today. Each has agreed to bring an open mind to these discussions, and all of them truly want some kind of peace for the future generations. This is a small meeting, but I think it's a start.

_"'My friend the Communist holds meetings in his RV. I can't afford his gas, so I'm stuck here watching TV.'"  
"Max, you're weird."_

I'm not here for the talks. I'm here to deliver the opening address. Originally, I was also supposed to head one of the discussion groups on universal weapons disarmament, but this week, I just can't. All the representatives are standing around talking. They seem to be getting along well. I know WEI was invited. I wonder who they sent. I have to turn away as I hear two diplomats discussing an argument the L-1 spokesperson's daughter was in at school.

_"Ooh, you good-for-nothing street whore! I cannot believe you have the audacity to speak to me like that!"  
"Oh, grow up, Relena! God, for once would you act your age instead of Quatre's shoe size?!?"  
"... Excuse me?"_

The address is to be delivered in 5 minutes. As I'm led to my seat near the podium, I notice my brother and Noin among the delegates finding their own in the small auditorium. A deep breath. You can do this.

***

"Heero, isn't that Relena?" Quatre pointed to the stage once he had his comrade's attention.

"Yes. She has the address. Why are you surprised?" Heero found himself slipping into his old patterns of constantly scanning the room, scouting for trouble. He wasn't one of the Preventers assigned to guarding the affair, and he did trust at least two of the ones who were, but... Constant vigilance! He snorted at the phrase. Whoever had suggested he read those books deserved to be shot. Tidbits kept popping up at the most inappropriate times.

"Heero?" Quatre's face was full of concern. The stoic Japanese boy had moved in with them after Mariemaia's revolution, and he hadn't spoken of Duo in the time since. Quatre knew the two were dating before Heero was called concerning Relena's kidnapping. It must have been a bad breakup, bad enough to send them both running. But while Heero ran to friends, Duo disappeared. No one, not even the Preventers, had found a single trace of him. The only reason they weren't asking Heero if he'd killed the other boy was because they did know Duo hadn't moved out of the shared apartment until a week after Heero had moved into Quatre's estate. He decided to give up the train of thought and answer the original question. "All her other obligations to the conference were cancelled yesterday. I assumed the address would be, too."

Heero's brow furrowed. Canceling anything was unusual behavior for the former queen.

"Gentlemen, if you'd please find your way to your seats now, we'll be able to get on with the opening." Neither had noticed the woman gesturing to the chairs. Quatre shook himself out of his thoughts long enough to nod in gratitude.

Soon enough the introductions gave way to Relena's speech. Quatre noticed something different about the blond and sat up straighter as she began her speech.

"Hello, and welcome. I'm sure you are all expecting me to speak about the merits of total pacifism, but I today won't. Over the past few months, I've learned many new ideas and concepts." There was a pause as Relena assessed her audience. Apparently finding them worthy, she continued. "Yesterday morning my best friend died from a disease diagnosed as terminal when he was 12. This morning I buried him." Trowa and Wufei looked at each other from across the room. At an unspoken signal, the two uniformed Preventers made their ways to meet behind the stage. "I've wondered if a difference could have been made in his life if the past ten years had been filled with medical miracles and discoveries instead of military miracles and discoveries.

"Today I am here to talk about him and the truths he used his short life to show me. We must look at the past to understand the present and know how to proceed in the future. Believing, as some have, that if the people are shown the brutality of war, they will do everything in their power to establish and maintain peace is a flawed notion. People who know nothing other than war will not be able to bring themselves out of strife.

"Yes, it is possible for a fragile peace to emerge from battle, but just as any other regime brought to the fore by means of terror, this peace is unstable and will not last. We must work together to establish a real peace that is born of truth, compassion, and compromise. Selfishness and conceit have no place in a forum such as this. I trust you will work together with your fellows in this conference to establish solid bonds of communication and understanding." Again she paused, but this time to smile at the audience.

"A wise man once said, 'Two people who eat together cannot possibly hate each other.'" More than one set of eyes snapped to Relena's face at the familiar statement. "To this end, the conference will provide each of you three meals every day here at the complex, as well as snacks. Please use these times as they are meant to be: a time to explore friendship. Vary your dinnermates, speak to the unfamiliar person at the next table, learn about your fellow man.

"The word 'conference' broken into its component parts means 'bringing together.' As we have already brought you together physically, use this time to bring out your ideas, hopes, and suggestions for peace. We will be able to find solutions to our problems as long as we work alongside one another. Thank you for coming." Relena left the stage to a standing ovation.

Once outside, she went through the necessary security checks, convincing Wufei to check her car rather than allowing the normal security to scan it. Neither Trowa nor Wufei wanted to let her leave until she told them what was going on. There were too many coincidences in her speech and new ideas.

Heero and Quatre were both outside within minutes, and Noin and Millardo weren't far behind. They all watched Relena.

Finally she spoke. "You should all come over sometime. A lot has happened since I last saw any of you." None of them missed the sad look creeping into the heiress' eyes. Once the former fighters agreed on a time and day to visit the estate, they let her leave.

When she got back, Relena didn't bother going to the house. She instead went to a large tree at the very rear of the property. The dirt on one side had been freshly dug up. "Oh, Duo, what am I going to say? I couldn't do it; I couldn't _not_ tell them what happened. How am I supposed to tell them you're gone?" Relena didn't really expect an answer, but she stayed under the tree until the sun began sinking. "Good night, Duo. I'll see you later." Once inside she stopped by her office to put away her briefcase. A package on her desk gave her a moment's pause.

Brown paper wrapping was carefully checked for marks. Aside from her own address, there were none. Knowing the dire possibilities should she open an unmarked package, the teen threw caution to the wind and cut the tape.

A book and six envelopes fell out. "What..." There were names on the envelopes: hers, the four remaining pilots', and her brother's. The book was revealed to be Duo's journal. A glance through it showed that he'd written most of the last two years inside, starting with the day the two met. Coincidentally, also the day he met Heero. She'd always known something was going on with the two pilots, but Duo had never spoken of him around her, not, at least, after they'd become friends. She opened the letter first.

_Rel,  
Hey. Guess I'm gone already. I know you, you won't be able to not tell everyone what happened. I hope these'll make it better. The letters are so everyone knows why they weren't told, and the journal's in case you need something to read one night. Swear you'll never show it to anyone, or I swear I'll send the real god of death to smite you! Please, Rel, keep it quiet.  
I guess I don't have a lot to say. I don't know what we'll talk about after this or what'll happen, but thanks. Thanks for standing by me and with me and giving me someone to trust again. I don't know why I let you do it.  
Give Kasey a kiss for me and eat some extra dessert!  
Love, Max_

Relena smiled and wiped her cheek. Duo was right; these would help a lot. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to say anything. She'd promised him that she'd never tell anyone where he was buried. He said he didn't want his afterlife interrupted by people tromping through to see the grave of a Gundam pilot. Unfortunately, if the idea to ask Relena what she knew occurred to the other pilots, they _were_ well trained in torture. The thought was so morbid it almost made her laugh.

She cleaned up her desk and got ready for the evening. "Kasey, dinner!" The two went to the kitchen to eat, and both had double desserts. In two days, the pilots would come over and they'd have a long talk, but tonight Well, tonight Relena had a new book she very much wanted to read.

***

owari

***

That's it. The last part seems rushed, I know, but there wasn't much to add. I think this one's going to get some major rewrites soon. I want to add in the Duo/Kasey scene about the dragon sometime, and the original had Duo losing his braid. I kind of forgot about that part until the journal thing came up. Then I was like, oops, there's s'posed to be something else going on here, too... So, write, tell me if you think there's something missing that I should try to add to the rewrite.

**Nym**, **Gideon's Dreamer**, it's out! And it's over! And I know neither of you are going to like this ending, so I'm going into hiding now! **OhimesamaShinigami** (did I get that right? what a mouthful!), **Ley**, thanks for reviewing the first part!

Ooh, before I forget, "My friend the Communist..." belongs to Sheryl Crow (the song's "Soak Up the Sun") and "Constant Vigilance" is Alastor "Mad Eye" Moony's infamous line from the fourth Harry Potter book. Anything I forgot?


End file.
